Method and apparatus for coupling soft tissue to a bone

Abstract

A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone is disclosed. The apparatus includes a member to pull the soft tissue implant into a femoral tunnel. The member includes a suture having first and second ends which are passed through first and second openings associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. A collapsible tube is positioned about the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes retraction of the soft tissue implant into the femoral tunnel and the collapse of the tube to form an anchor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bone fixation assembly, comprising:
 an adjustable suture construct that includes a suture with a first free end and a second free end, the first free end extending longitudinally through a first longitudinal passage in the suture to form a first adjustable loop, the second free end extending longitudinally through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop, wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage, wherein, with the first free end extending longitudinally through the first longitudinal passage in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending longitudinally through the second longitudinal passage in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop; and 
 a bone fixation member coupled to the adjustable suture construct. 
 
     
     
       2. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned within the bone fixation member. 
     
     
       3. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along a length of the suture. 
     
     
       4. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bone fixation member can obtain a first profile for passing through a bone tunnel and can be converted to a second profile outside the bone tunnel for contacting bone around an opening to the bone tunnel for inhibiting passage of the bone fixation member back through the bone tunnel, and wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned adjacent the bone fixation member in the bone fixation assembly. 
     
     
       5. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bone fixation member comprises a deformable tube slidably received on the adjustable suture construct, the deformable tube being deformable from a first condition to a second condition, the first condition of the deformable tube permitting advancement of the deformable tube through a segment of tissue to an anchoring location, the second condition of the deformable tube forming an anchoring mass at the anchoring location for inhibiting movement of the deformable tube back through the segment of tissue for providing anchoring for the adjustable suture construct. 
     
     
       6. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop are looped through one another. 
     
     
       7. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bone fixation member is an elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       8. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the adjustable suture construct extends down into the elongate threaded fastener through an opening in a trailing end of the elongate threaded fastener to couple the adjustable suture construct to the elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       9. A bone fixation assembly, comprising:
 an adjustable suture construct that includes a suture with a first free end and a second free end, the first free end extending into the suture through a first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along a first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a fourth aperture in the suture to form a first adjustable loop, the second free end extending into the suture through a second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along a second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through a third aperture in the suture to form a second adjustable loop, wherein the first aperture, the second aperture, the third aperture, and the fourth aperture are all separate apertures in the suture, and wherein, with the first free end extending into the suture through the first aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the first longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the fourth aperture in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending into the suture through the second aperture in the suture, longitudinally within the suture along the second longitudinal passage, and out of the suture through the third aperture in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop; and 
 a bone fixation member coupled to the adjustable suture construct. 
 
     
     
       10. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage. 
     
     
       11. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along a length of the suture. 
     
     
       12. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first longitudinal passage is separate from the second longitudinal passage in the suture. 
     
     
       13. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the bone fixation member can obtain a first profile for passing through a bone tunnel and can be converted to a second profile outside the bone tunnel for contacting bone around an opening to the bone tunnel for inhibiting passage of the bone fixation member back through the bone tunnel. 
     
     
       14. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the bone fixation member comprises a deformable tube slidably received on the adjustable suture construct, the deformable tube being deformable from a first condition to a second condition, the first condition of the deformable tube permitting advancement of the deformable tube through a segment of tissue to an anchoring location, the second condition of the deformable tube forming an anchoring mass at the anchoring location for inhibiting movement of the deformable tube back through the segment of tissue for providing anchoring for the adjustable suture construct. 
     
     
       15. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop are looped through one another. 
     
     
       16. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the bone fixation member is an elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       17. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adjustable suture construct extends down into the elongate threaded fastener through an opening in a trailing end of the elongate threaded fastener to couple the adjustable suture construct to the elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       18. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned adjacent the bone fixation member in the bone fixation assembly. 
     
     
       19. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 9 , wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned within the bone fixation member. 
     
     
       20. A bone fixation assembly, comprising:
 an adjustable suture construct that includes a suture with a first free end and a second free end, the first free end extending longitudinally through a first longitudinal passage in the suture to form a first adjustable loop, the second free end extending longitudinally through a second longitudinal passage in the suture to form a second adjustable loop, the first longitudinal passage being separate from the second longitudinal passage in the suture, wherein, with the first free end extending longitudinally through the first longitudinal passage in the suture to form the first adjustable loop and with the second free end extending longitudinally through the second longitudinal passage in the suture to form the second adjustable loop, the first free end can be pulled through the first longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the first adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the second adjustable loop and the second free end can be pulled through the second longitudinal passage to decrease a size of the second adjustable loop without decreasing a size of the first adjustable loop, and 
 a bone fixation member coupled to the adjustable suture construct. 
 
     
     
       21. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned adjacent the bone fixation member in the bone fixation assembly. 
     
     
       22. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first free end extends through the first longitudinal passage without extending through the second longitudinal passage, and wherein the second free end extends through the second longitudinal passage without extending through the first longitudinal passage. 
     
     
       23. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first longitudinal passage and the second longitudinal passage are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along a length of the suture. 
     
     
       24. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the bone fixation member can obtain a first profile for passing through a bone tunnel and can be converted to a second profile outside the bone tunnel for contacting bone around an opening to the bone tunnel for inhibiting passage of the bone fixation member back through the bone tunnel. 
     
     
       25. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the bone fixation member comprises a deformable tube slidably received on the adjustable suture construct, the deformable tube being deformable from a first condition to a second condition, the first condition of the deformable tube permitting advancement of the deformable tube through a segment of tissue to an anchoring location, the second condition of the deformable tube forming an anchoring mass at the anchoring location for inhibiting movement of the deformable tube back through the segment of tissue for providing anchoring for the adjustable suture construct. 
     
     
       26. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first adjustable loop and the second adjustable loop are looped through one another. 
     
     
       27. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the bone fixation member is an elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       28. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the adjustable suture construct extends down into the elongate threaded fastener through an opening in a trailing end of the elongate threaded fastener to couple the adjustable suture construct to the elongate threaded fastener. 
     
     
       29. The bone fixation assembly of  claim 20 , wherein at least part of the first longitudinal passage and at least part of the second longitudinal passage are positioned within the bone fixation member.